Snares have been commonly recognized to be an effective means for capturing small animals such as rabbits and larger animals such as foxes, coyotes and wolves. Typically, the snare consists of a length of flexible cable such as wire or rope which is threaded through a locking slide or slip member to which one end of the cable is joined or connected to form a loop or noose. The snare loop may be adjusted in size and suspended at an appropriate height for selective capture of the animal being sought.
As is common practice, the snare is set along a runway or path frequently traveled by the animal. When the animal runs along the path and inserts its head into the snare loop, the resultant pulling or tugging on the snare causes the loop to tighten about the animal's neck. Once the loop is secured about the animal's neck, any continued struggling by the animal only serves to futther tighten the snare loop and often to a point resulting in strangulation of the animal.
Although conventional snares have a number of advantages over other types of animal traps, one major drawback has been the aforementioned resultant strangulation of the snared animal as it struggles to escape the snare. Primarily for this reason, the use of snares has been outlawed in many areas throughout the United States.
One attempt to obviate this drawback has involved the use of an adjustable stop to define a minimum constricted size of the snare loop. In theory, the stop could be set to limit loop constriction to a point that would not result in strangulation of the snared animal and yet be sufficient to prevent escape of the animal. In practice, however, any error in setting the stop in either direction results in undesirable consequences, i.e., either strangulation of the animal by too small a setting or escape of the animal by too large a setting. Moreover, there is no assurance against an animal larger than that being sought from being snared and strangled.
Accordingly, there has been a long felt need for a snare which ensures retention of the snared animal while protecting against strangulation of the animal.